Safety catch for mine gates



oct. 13,1925. 1,556,690

G. E. HUTTLE -sAx-ETY GATGH FOR MINE GATES Oct. 13, 1925 G. E. HuT'rLE SAFETY CATCH FOR NINE GATES F1106 Feb. 29. 1924 2 Sheets--Sheli -2 Z .ew @my Patented Get. 13, 1925.

PATENT oFFIcEg:

GUs'rAvE E. naman, 0E scoTTnALE, PENNSYLVANIA.

sAnETY entren Fon MINE GATES.

Application filed February 29, 1924. Serial No. 696,074. f

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, GUSTAVE E. HUTTLE, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Scottdale, in the county of Westmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Catches for Mine Gates, of which the following is aA specification. K

This invention relates to lifting gates'and more particularly to safety catches'for lifting gates, such as used on mine shaft entrances and the like.

One object of the present invention iste vprovide afsafety catch that will automativcally lock thel gate against downward movement'immediately upon the breaking or sudden release of the lifting cable.

Another object is to provide a safety catch mechanism of this class that may be readily applied to existing gates without materially altering tlievgate construction or operating i mechanism.

vA further object is to provide a safety catch mechanism having las few movingV parts as possible, thereby eliminating wear and reducing the cost-of upkeepto a minimum.

A still further object is toprovide a safety catch for mine shaft gates and the'like having the novel construction, design, and combination of parts hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

In the drawings, Figure 1 is af frontele-f vation of a minc'sha'ft gate having my invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a transverse section on the line Ill-II of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail elevation showing one of the locking plates in locking engagement with the guide posts.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 2 designates the supporting structure or framing at the mouth of the shaft, and the numeral 3 designates the fencing extending away from each side of the shaft mouth.

A pair of gate guides or posts l formed of pipes or rods of circular crosssection are arranged vertically at each side of the entrance to the shaft, and have their lower ends secured in base sleeves 5 secured to a suitable concrete or masonry base, while their upper ends are secured by suitable clips 6 to the framing 2,

A gate A is mounted to move vertically between the posts or guides 4 and is formed gether by Abolts 13.

of a series of vertical wood slats 7 secured to horizontal stringere 8, each of which has va back and front steel Aplate, the stringers 8 and slats 7 beingv secured togetherv by through-bolts 9.

Each of the stringers V8 is provided at each end with a guide encircling sleeve -10 adapted to guide the gate during its vertical movement between the guides 4f.

A pair of safety catches B are secured on the gate A for vpreventing downward movement of the gate if the liftingA cable should become suddenly loosened or break.

The catchesB each comprise ya lever .'12 formed of a pair of metal rods, one extending on each side of the gate and secured to- A The` levers 12 are pivoted adjacent their outer endson sleeves 14- mounted in the gate ends and held in position by bolts 15. The outer ends of the rods comprising the leversA 12 are bent outwardly zontal. 4A coiled spring 19 is secured to the lower'stringer of the gate `below each of the levers 12 and has its upper end connected to a rod 20 which is in turn connected to the lever 12 intermediate its ends. The springs 19 are normally under tension -so as to pro- A lifting rod 22 is pivotallyy secured to the inner ends of each of the levers 12 and the upper ends of the rods 22 are pivotally connected to a cross head 23. A suitable lifting cable 24 is secured to the cross head 23 and trained upwardly and over suitable sheaves 25 on the supporting structure 2 and operatively connected with an operating cylinder 26 for raising and lowering the gate.

The outer ends or jaw ends of the levers 12 are provided with slots 27, and hard metal locking plates 28 having side lugs 29 are mounted between the jaws with their lugs extending into the slots 27. The plates 28 are rovided with apertures 30 through which tie guide posts 4 are passed. That is, the plates 28 encircle the posts 4 and are adapted to normally slide thereon. The ends of the plates 28 are bent in opposite directions at right angles to the main body of the plates and form strengthening ribs or flanges 31. The plates 28 may be readily removed from the levers when they become vide a constant downward pull on the levers worn by loosening the bolts 13 and spreading the bars forming the levers 12.

For best results the posts l; should be of a metal softer' than the metal of the plates 28.

As will be noted in Figure 1, some of the vertical slats are cut away as at 33. These cut away portions are not essential in all gate constructions, but are found necessary in some constructions in order to provide ample clearance for the downward movement of the levers 12 due to the transverse securing bolts and spacers for securing the bars forming the levers together.

In operation if the lifting mechanism should suddenly break or become loose the levers 12 will be pulled down, due to the tension of the springs, thus inclinin'g the plates 28 and causing` them to wedge against and bite into the posts 4, so as to positively lock the gate against falling.

I claim 1, The combination with a pair of cylindrical guide posts and a vertically movable gate having a sliding guide connection with said posts, of means for moving said gate vertically and means for preventing the falling of said gate if said lifting means should fail, said means comprising a pair of transverse levers pivotally mounted on said gate, a coil spring secured to each of said levers and to said gate for exerting a constant downward pull on said levers, a step secured to said gate above each of said levers and adapted to limit their upward movement to the horizontal, la pair 'of lifting rods having their lower ends pivotally connected to the inner ends of said levers and having their upper ends pivotally secured to a suitable cross head, a lifting cable secured to said cross head and connected to a suitable power means for lifting said gate, said levers each being composed of two bars, one being disposed on each side of said gate, said bars being bent outwardly adjacent their outer ends to form spaced jaws, and a relatively hard metal locking plate removably secured between said spaced jaws and encircling said posts, said plates having side lugs projecting through suitable slots in said jaws and having their ends bent at right angles to the main body portion of the plate, said ends being bent in opposite directions and serving as strengthening flanges.

2. The combination with a pair of cylindrical guide posts and a vertically movable gate having` a sliding guide connection with said posts, of means for moving said gate vertically and means for preventing the falling of said gate if said lifting means should fail, said means comprising a pair of transverse levers pivotally mounted on said gate, a coil spring secured to each of said levers and to said gate for exerting a constant downward pull on said levers, a stop secured to said gate above each of said levers and adapted to limit their upward movement to the horizontal, a pair of lifting rods having their lower ends pivotally connected to the inner ends of said levers and having their upper ends pivotally secured to a suitable cross head, a lifting cable secured to said 'cross head and connected toV a suitable power means for lifting said gate, said levers each being composed of two bars, one being disposed on each side of said gate, and a metal locking plate removably secured between said bars and encircling said posts, said plates having side lugs projecting through suitable slots in said jaws and having their' ends bent at right angles to the main body portion of the plate to form strengthening flanges.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

GUSTAVE E. l-lUT'lLIG. 

